Identity, Innovation, Impact: Landscape Architects Shaping Climate Solutions [Video]

During the Land8x8 Lightning Talks, landscape architect Robert Curtis of Curtis + Rogers Design Studio shares insights gained from almost five years in the landscape architecture profession. He highlights the challenges faced in addressing the climate crisis within the built environment sector, emphasizing perceived limitations and barriers to influence.

Robert categorizes the landscape architect’s influence into three spheres: personal, political, and practical. Personal influence involves individual values, political influence addresses structural and systemic factors affecting the design process, and practical influence focuses on implementing design through actions. The speaker identifies barriers such as limited budgets, lack of coordination, cultural values, and regulatory challenges within these spheres.

The Climate Action Plan and Field Guide are acknowledged as significant progress, but Robert emphasizes the need for intentional transformation of landscape architects’ identities to embrace a broader role in climate action. Three key ways to achieve this transformation are outlined:

1. Scale Up:Robert advocates for landscape architects to collaborate with allied professions and …